Spur Trail?
Every once in a while, I'll review a Spur Trail: a trip that can provide for an interesting couple of hours but not the grandeur of a national park or enough for a full day's visit. Basically, if you are in the area, stop by, but I wouldn't necessarily tell someone to go out of their way to see it.
The bright orange cliffs abutting the Chesapeake Bay are the main draw of Calvert Cliffs State Park. Although visitors cannot climb on the cliffs any more, you can enjoy the views of the bay while looking at the large number of shells and fossilized shark teeth on the beach. The trail leading to the cliffs has some surprises of its own, as well.
The cliffs at high tide |
Red Trail out / Blue-Yellow Trail back (1.8 miles out; 4 miles round trip): I decided to cut to the chase on my January 2011 visit to the park, and head straight for the cliffs on the red-blazed Red Trail. This "trail" is sandy, flat, and very well marked. Into the wild, it is not.
The map from the parking lot |
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the Red Trail. Very early on, it begins to follow a small creek with the smallest of marshy areas off to the right as you head away from the parking lot. To my surprise, the creek and marsh became larger and larger as I went along, apparently due to several active beaver dams visible from the trail. Fortunately, most of the trail is high and dry.
Beaver! |
One of the beaver dams, perhaps? |
Cold as it was, I was not brave (or stupid?) enough to risk walking out to the end. |
Looking away from the cliffs |
No thank you. |
In Short:
- 1.8 miles from the parking lot to the beach along the red-blazed Red Trail; several options for the return.
- Beaver dams and wetland views heading out to the beach.
- Loads of shells along the cliffs.
- Try to time your visit for low tide for maximum exploration of the cliff area.
Logistics: Calvert Cliffs State Park is approximately 90 minutes from DC, in Lusby, MD, in southern Maryland. If you are heading south on Route 2/4 (the main road in the area), turn left onto H.G. Trueman Road. (If you hit Cove Point Road, you've gone too far.) The park entrance is straight ahead. A bulletin board in the parking lot nearest the pond has a map of the park, as well as other information. If you need to pick up supplies, I passed several big box stores in Frederick, MD (13 miles north of the park on Route 2/4). If you're looking to keep up the water views for a post-visit meal, I recommend heading south on Route 2/4 for 6 miles to Solomons Island.
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